Thirty Ways in Thirty Days
by Kyoshi7989
Summary: “I just need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for a month, that’s all. Y’know, so Suki and Yue will back off. No strings attached. Right?” Yeah. Right. AU Tokka. HIATUS
1. Prologue: A Not So Simple Request

**Title:** Thirty Ways in Thirty Days (to Fall in Love with Your Best Friend)

**Pairing(s):** Tokka, Maiko and Kataang hints

**Rating:** PG-13 for language and innuendo

**Summary: **"I just need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for a month, that's all. Y'know, so Suki and Yue will back off. No strings attached. Right?" Yeah. Right. AU Tokka.

**A/N:** The Prologue is very short, but the chapters will get longer, I promise. Please tell me if you find any OOCness, or other errors. Um...I think that's all...so...on with the Tokka!

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Prologue: A Not So Simple Request 

_You know, when I said I owed you one, this wasn't really what I had in mind_

"I just need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for a month, that's all," Sokka said quickly, averting my searching gaze.

I dropped all pretenses and stared.

"Y'know, so Suki and Yue will back off," he added, fidgeting nervously and staring at the ground.

I wound a lock of hair around my finger, still looking at him, speechless.

"No strings attached," Sokka pleaded desperately. I half expected him to drop to his knees and simply beg. "Right?"

Like the intelligent and sophisticated person that I am, I continued gaping at him, for once at a loss for words.

Sokka stared back.

At last I found my voice. "Snoozles?" I croaked out. He looked at me, face alight with hopefulness. I met his gaze, and said flatly, "No."

"Please, Toph," he beseeched, obviously dismayed. "I need your help! Just a month. It won't be so bad."

"No," I repeated, despite my pleasantly squirming insides and over-active imagination that was going into hyper-drive as I spoke.

"_To-o-oph_," Sokka whined, giving me his best puppy-dog eyed look. "Do it for me. For our _friendship_." He paused, and let out a pathetic whimper, sticking out his lower lip. "Ple-e-e-ase?"

I didn't reply, but instead said, feeling very foolish and too similar to my mother for my own good, "If you keep your lip out like that, a bee will sting it."

Sokka pouted as I turned and began to stalk away. Wrapping his warm fingers around my wrist, I flinched, trying to pull away. But Sokka's iron grip held steadfast.

This time, when he looked at me, he was completely serious. "Please, Toph. I don't know what to do. Suki and Yue are ruining my life with their constant argumentive-catfight-provoking-unstoppable-possesiveness. How will I survive, if I don't make them think I'm unavailable and in a relationship?"

I bit back laughter and shot him an annoyed look, at last breaking free of his grasp. Sokka looked helpless, his hand outstretched and snatching empty air. "I told you, I won't _pretend _to be anyone's girlfriend, let alone _yours_," I scoffed, scowling. "If you were looking for someone shallow, go find Ty Lee, will you?" I added ill-humoredly.

"She's…_chipper_. And obnoxious," Sokka reasoned, rising from his knees to stand directly in front of me. "I need someone I'm friend's with, and that won't get attached. If I asked _Ty Lee_ out, she'd probably start planning the wedding within a week!"

I snorted despite myself. "Gotta admit, you're right there, Snoozles." Suddenly, I realized what he'd said. "Someone who _won't get attached_? Bastard," I snarled, folding my arms and glaring as Sokka gaped at me. "So I _don't have emotions_, is that it? Or whoop-de-doo—did you happen to forget that I was a _living_, _breathing_, _female_? Oh, that _definitely _makes me want to help you," I scorned. Sneering took an effort, as did concealing my hurt and unrest insides. Did he think I was completely apathetic? Or had Sokka really never considered us more then friends?

At last, the perpetrator spoke. "I didn't mean it that way!" Sokka cried, obviously distressed. "Of course I know you have emotions! Of course I know you're a girl! But can't you see?—you're the only one I can trust to help me, and not spill the beans or—or fall in love with me!"

I barely concealed a flinch. _It's a little late for that_, I thought sourly, but not without a hint of black humor. I paused. After a moment, I started, "I'm not gonna agree to this dumb plan of yours, Snoozles." Sokka deflated, opening his mouth object, but I held up my hand. "Just wait, okay?"

I cleared my throat, eyes glued to his desperate face. My heart began to melt, and I silently curse this _thing_, this thing called love. "I just gotta know…" I swallowed. With a defeated sigh, I demanded, "What the hell's in it for me?"

Sokka stared at me, delighted. "You'll do it!"

I crossed my arms. "Yes. I'll do it." Clearing my throat, I gave him a sideways glance. "Well, come on! I asked you what I got out of it, didn't I?"

With a thoughtful nod, Sokka tapped his chin. "Food?"

"No," I replied immediately, disgusted. "That's _you_, not _me_." Already I was beginning to regret this.

Running his fingers through his hair, Sokka suggested, "Money?"

"I already got too much of that, remember?" I pointed out, scowling at the mere thought of my parents and their stupid 'Bei Fong Fortune.'

Sokka nodded, biting his lip. "Um…uh…" I could nearly see the light bulb illuminate his dusty brain. "Oh! I know! I'll write a song for you!"

I suddenly felt very foolish for agreeing to help him. A song? Jeez, just imagining Sokka playing his guitar—and singing to _me_—was nearly enough to make me turn red—but not quite enough, because, I reminded myself, Toph Bei Fond _did not blush_.

It was only after a moment that I realized Sokka was still waiting for my answer. "Um." I paused and fought back a cringe. I could not _believe_ I was agreeing with him. "Yes."

Surprise flashed across his face. Sokka scrambled after me, as I swiveled around and began to walk away, back towards the school cafeteria. Lunch was probably almost over anyway…I swore inwardly when I realized that in a few moments, I would once more be forced to endure the cruel and unusual punishment that was geometry.

"Really?" He skidded around me and halted, blocking my path. "Are you sure?" Sokka reached a quick hand over to feel my forehead, and I swatted him away. "You're not sick, are you?"

"_No_," I snapped, shoving him out of the way and stalking back into the cafeteria.

"It's just a month!" I heard Sokka call after me. "No string attached, remember?"

A month trying to harness the feelings that were already nearly out of control.

A month living in a dreamworld that only to Sokka and I would be completely and utterly fake.

A month with the boy I was in love with.

No strings attached?

Yeah. Right.


	2. Please God Kill Me Now

**Title:** Thirty Ways in Thirty Days (to Fall in Love with Your Best Friend)

**Pairing(s):** Tokka, Maiko and Kataang hints

**Rating:** PG-13 for language, innuendo and sexuality

**Summary: **"I just need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for a month, that's all. Y'know, so Suki and Yue will back off. No strings attached. Right?" Yeah. Right. AU Tokka.

**A/N:** I'm nervous about this chapter, since it's really gonna dictate where the stories gonna go. If it isn't well-recieved, I might just take it down and post it again, which is why I really, _really_ need feedback. If you like it, tell me, please! If you hate it...well, that's okay, too. I just want to know what I can do better.

**Edit: **(2.16.08) Wow! There was some major OOCness in there, wasn't it? I think I've basically fixed it. Tell me if I missed anything...

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Chapter 2: Please God Kill Me Now

_No, seriously, after this I am _so_ becoming an atheist_

"Can I carry those books for you?" Sokka asked the moment I stepped out of geometry, already snatching for my math textbook. Yanking it away from him, I continued walking as Sokka matched me stride for stride.

"We have to make this _convincing_," he told me matter-of-factly. "So, what better place to make our relationship public than right now?"

"Oh, I don't know, Snoozles—maybe _never_?" I retorted, scowling and, to my disgust, unable to keep a slight blush from my cheeks.

Sokka looked at me imploringly. "_Please_, Toph. You already agreed to it, anyway," he reasoned. "Remember our deal? You help me, and I write you a—"

"Yes, I remember," I hissed, desperate the no one hear that Toph Bei Fong was taking payment in the form of a song, "But I need to get to class." I fought back a cringe, and silently dubbed myself the _worst excuse-maker ever_. '_Get to class_?' Since when had I cared about _that_?

"Good, then—I'll come with you," Sokka answered, gaze flitting around the hallway. Drawing himself up and clearing his throat, he began in a ridiculously loud and deep voice, "Toph! Let me carry those books for you, seeing as the manly, masculine person the I am."

"Sokka!" I choked out, face burning as his announcement drew curious stares. "What the hell are you _doing_, idiot?!?"

He stared at me, bemused. "Offering to carry those books for you, of course!" A few others in the hall chuckled at his outburst, shaking their heads in amusement, but my mortification and anger only increased at their mirth.

"Moron!" I fumed, turning on him. "In case you haven't I _don't _need your _help_!" I gnashed my teeth. "Gawd, Sokka, how in hell am I gonna live this down?"

He looked affronted. "I was trying to be _chivilrous_," Sokka pointed out, his offended expression disappearing and replaced with one of befuddlement, "Remember?" He puffed out his chest and glanced around the hallway once more before adding loudly, "Like the manly man that I am! Why aren't you overjoyed that those heavy, straining books can be taken away by someone who can handle them easily?"

I stiffened. "Because I'm not a--sissy--pathetic--loser--wanna-be chick that relies on her boyfriend for everything!"

Sokka looked at me, shocked. "Are you saying I'm not _manly_ enough for you?"

I smacked myself on the forehead. "I didn't _want_ you to be _manly_!"

"But I where the pants! I'm the _male_!" Sokka protested.

"Look, if we're gonna be in a relationship, then _I_ am gonna be the only one in charge," I told him stoutly.

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You mean our friendship, right? Don't you remember the deal--"

"Just get on with it," I muttered, scowling.

"Toph," Sokka began, once again in that obnoxiously loud voice, "Would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?" He looked at me seriously, and the world seemed to compress into that sole moment when I was consumed by the depths of his deep, blue eyes. Talk about cliché, but you gotta admit that every once in a while those romance novel chicks actually know what they're talking about.

Sokka's plan, however, seemed to be working perfectly. He'd somehow led me along the path Suki took to gym every day, and there the red-head herself was, managing to pull off seriously pissed and heartbroken both at once. I was unable to keep a smug smiled off my face. _Take that, bitch!_ I thought vehemently.

Despite the fact that it was all a complete act, I was unable to quell my racing heartbeat. At last, I muttered, "Whatever, Snoozles," and began to speed off to my next class, English—and then, finally, blissful freedom.

Sokka, however, was determined to follow. "Whew...glad that's over," he told me, whiping a hand across his forehead. Sokka looked at me reproachfully for a moment. "I didn't even get onto the part where I told you how manly I was!"

I stared at him, irked. "Have you ever considered that might be a good thing?"

"Of course it's a good thing! Manliness is _always_ a good thing!" Sokka explained smartly.

"Just go to your class," I mumbled. Sokka raced off with a hasty goodbye, still in that ridiculously deep, so called _manly_ voice.

Continuing down the route to my classroom, I imagined stabbing Sokka with a dull spoon, all while downing an entire meat-lover's pizza right in front of him.

Hey, just 'cause I was in love with him didn't mean I wouldn't gladly accept the chance to cause him pain.

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Once again, I found Sokka doggedly by my side as I took the first blissful step out of English. Rolling my eyes, I sped up and tried to lose him, but, unfortunately, Sokka stuck with me. It was like having a second shadow.

He followed me to my locker, back to the English room for a forgotten textbook, once again to my locker, in order to snatch a Twinkie, and finally out to the parking lot.

Worst of all, Sokka seemed caught up on something. He would try to strike up a conversation, then lapse back into silence, then attempt to talk with me once more. The process repeated itself through the entire journey.

Needless to say, by the end of it, I was pissed. And, to top it off, I was beginning to doubt that we really _needed_ to go on a date to prove this whole thing. All I had to do was sit next to him at lunch (which I already did) and maybe get caught making out with him under the stairs a few times.

Gulp.

I really, really hoped Sokka didn't want to be _that_ convincing.

Between the multiple trips back and forth to my locker, by the time we reached the parking lot, I'd missed my bus.

Swearing, I dumped my books on a bench. "Well, thanks, God," I snapped, glaring at the ridiculously blue sky, then muttering sourly, "You know, I am so totally gonna become an atheist after this."

Plopping down on the asphalt, I ripped open my Twinkie and devoured it in eight seconds flat; licking the creamy filling from my fingers once I was done. "Well," I asked bad naturedly, wiping away the flecks of white with the back of my hand, "Are you gonna sit down, too, Snoozles, or are you gonna stand there all day like the idiot you are?"

Sokka joined me on the ground. "Are you gonna call your parents?" he asked, withdrawing a tube of Skittles from his pocket and tossing them into his mouth.

I drew my knees to my chest. "Nope. They're handling a court case. Soonest they can get me will be, what—midnight?" I sunk into sulky silence.

It was Sokka who finally dispelled it. "I can drive you home," he offered. He seemed to be making an extra effort to be friendly, and if I hadn't been in such a bad mood, I might have been grateful.

"No," I grumbled. "I don't take charity."

I was touchy about that kind of stuff. Back when I was a kid, I'd gotten in a car accident and messed up my legs pretty badly. My parents, rich folk that they were, were able to cover it just fine, but I wouldn't let anyone give me sympathy. I could take care of myself perfectly well.

This time, however, I was hoping Sokka would see through my act. I really, really needed a ride.

But he didn't persist. Instead, he sat with me there, quiet, legs folded Indian style. I continued sulking, and he would toss in a few Skittles now and then—halfheartedly offering me one every once in a while—but we basically just sat there.

After about twenty minutes of this, I grew bored.

"Hey, Snoozles," I drawled, "Care to play a game of truth or dare?"

Sokka glanced at me, now as bored as I was. "Okay. Sure."

"Hm." I leaned back on thin air, hands behind my head. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Sokka turned away so I could no longer read his expression.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Love?" Sokka repeated lazily, eyes drifting half closed. "Yeah."

"Oh?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "Who?"

Sokka blinked at me. "You don't know her," he told me, relaxing a little.

"Try me," I persisted.

Sokka yawned. "I dunno, Toph. It's _private_," he added knowingly.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Yeah, whatever." After a few minutes of silence, tedium overtook me once more.

"Fine," I finally said. Sokka started, and turned to me.

"What is it?"

"Fine," I repeated, annoyed. "Drive me home."

"Finally!" he exclaimed, obviously relieved. "I was give up and just gonna drag you there," Sokka added.

I followed as he led me to a dark blue pick up.

"It's a family car," Sokka explained as I slid in the passenger side. "It used to me my dad's, before he--" he swallowed, and stopped.

I looked at Sokka expectantly, but he didn't elaborate. Starting up the car, we drove out of the parking lot after nearly forty minutes of waiting.

The rest of the drive was uneventful. Stare at the window, ignore the driver—I'd learned the procedure from going driving with my parents. All I had to do was answer I few questions now and then about how to get to my house, and Sokka would remain as silent as I was.

But by the time I was exiting the car and he hadn't said I word, I was a little disappointed. Usually he would have tried _some_thing, at least, but Sokka hadn't said a thing. And now no goodbye? I agreed to pretend to be his freakin' _girlfriend_ for a month, and he wouldn't even say one simple word as he dropped me off at my house!

I decided that no way would I ever, _ever_ agree to something like this again.

As I walked around the car, Sokka seemed to hesitate. When I was nearly to the driveway, he rolled down the window and said quickly, but obviously reluctant--and _still_ in that deep, loud voice-- "Goodbye, Toph!" With that, he drove away, leaving me standing there looking at a cloud of exhaust fumes like a total idiot. So _now_ he said goodbye!

If Sokka hadn't already taken off, I would have cursed at him.

I stomped in the house and slammed the door. Why oh why had I agreed to this? It was getting worse by the second!

The first chance I got, I was gonna _slaughter_ him.

There was no way out of this predicament. He'd trapped me in a cage; backed me against the wall—whatever you want to call it, Sokka had gotten me to agree to it without really telling me what I was getting into. What if it wasn't even a month? What if Sokka wanted Suki and Yue to believe he was _in a relationship_ forever?

I didn't even want to _think_ about that.

But, somehow or other, I knew I'd get so pissed off that I'd fall out of love with Sokka, and eventually the rest would come to an end. No strings attached—hell, I'd show him _no strings attached_.

So, all in all, I was pretty convinced that this was just gonna be a month of hell, and the perfect opportunity to squash my feelings for Sokka once and for all.

But let's face it: Destiny's a bitch, and since when do things turn out the way we expect them to?

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You'll find out more about the car crash later. Was there any major OOCness? I fiddled around a lot with this chapter...and what do you guys feel like about having some sort of school dance later in the fic (yeah, cliche, I know, but come on--we all love cliches, deep, deep, down, don't we?). Tell me what you thinkk (about the chapter and the dance). 


	3. If We Were a Movie I’d Kill the Director

**Title:** Thirty Ways in Thirty Days (to Fall in Love with Your Best Friend)

**Pairing(s):** Tokka, Maiko and Kataang hints

**Rating:** PG-13 for language, innuendo and sexuality

**Summary: **"I just need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for a month, that's all. Y'know, so Suki and Yue will back off. No strings attached. Right?" Yeah. Right. AU Tokka.

**A/N: **I've decided to post this chapter (sorry for the wait!) but I'm a little uneasy about not making Sokka, perhaps, pesstimistic enough. So if you see any major OOCness, just tell me and I'll be glad to go back and fix it. Once again, sorry for the wait! ON WITH THE TOKKA!

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Chapter 2: If We Were a Movie I'd Kill the Director

_Murdering _you_ during opening credits would be nice, too_

"Snoozles is really dumb for making me go on this date, isn't he?"

The mirror didn't answer me.

"Yeah. I'm gonna kick his sorry ass first chance I get."

I was beginning to wonder if it should concern me that I'd resorted to one-sided conversations with sheets of glass.

Scowling (why was I doing so damn much of that lately?), I plopped down on the bed. "Stupid Snoozles," I sighed, "Why didja hafta go make everything so complicated, huh?"

Complicated. Story of my life.

And a song by Avril Lavigne, now that I thought of it.

Rising up, I stared in the mirror once more. A blank-eyed girl stared back at me, lips quirked downward. The green tank and miniskirt somehow looked out of place, like they belonged on some glamour queen five blocks down.

I decided I should probably go for a more punk-rocker look next time.

Wait, no. There _wasn't_ gonna be a next time. I would put my foot down. On Sokka's head, if need be. Because I was _independent_. I was strong. I was resistant and self-sufficient and proud and—

And a whole bunch of other things. Way too nice for her own good being among them.

Normally I wouldn't have used nice to describe _anyone_ I knew, let alone myself. But that was the only word for it. I must have been struck by a sudden bout of niceness. I was sick. I was ill. I needed to see a doctor.

I was stunningly horrible at excuses.

And I was _brooding_. I did not _brood_. Or babble. I _did not babble_. And babbling inside my own _head_? Hell, that was _life-threatening_. A sign of mental illness. _Definitely _a reason to—

"Oh my god," I uttered, sinking back onto the bed. I was turning into a—a…boy-loving-date-angsting-clothes-wearing-_preppy girl_. This was _all_ Sokka's fault. In fact, it was _his_ fault that I'd fallen in love with him in the first place!

With this new way of self-empowering thinking, I marched downstairs. Leaning against the wall of the foyer, I stared out the front window, brushing a loose lock of hair from my face. As I relaxed against the hard surface, my mind wandered to Sokka—which, actually, had been happening more and more lately.

I decided that tonight would be the night. _The_ night. The night where I would squash my feelings for Sokka once and for all—

Unfortunately, my determination vanished not the moment of the sharp rap on the door, but in the split-second that I knew that Sokka was waiting out there—waiting for _me_.

I was really turning into one of those romantic-types, wasn't I? Next thing I knew I'd probably be reading love poems for fun, watching midnight chick-flick, and obsessing over who would sleep with who on the next episode of this month's most popular soap opera.

Pulling at my skirt and hastily smearing on a gob of lip gloss, I threw open the door. Sokka stood there. "Hey, Toph—" he broke off.

Eyes going wide, he stared at me. I threw him a look. "I don't look _that _bad, do I? Come on, at least say _something_," I added irritably.

Sokka's mouth worked soundlessly as he continued staring at me. At last, when I was ready to strangle him, he seemed to snap back into existence. "Toph," he asked seriously, "When did you get so pretty?"

Despite myself, I began to blush. Desperately searching for something to say, I finally settled with, "I dunno, Snoozles. When did you start noticing?"

Sokka's cheeks flushed the tiniest bit. "Err…Today?" He glanced down at my skirt, then stared back at me bemused. "Toph? Are you feeling okay?"

I snorted. "What do you think?"

"Have you been feeling…different lately?" Sokka continued, waggling an eyebrow at me. "Bouts of insanity? Temporary girliness? Spontaneous combusting?"

I stared at him. "…Was that supposed to be some sort of twisted pick-up line? 'Cause if it was, Snoozles, I'm really not getting it."

"_I_," he told me grandly, latching hold of my wrist and dragging me toward the car—and myself tingling at the feeling of his skin on my own, "Could pick up a girl in two seconds, pick up line or no pick up line."

"Oh yeah, Snoozles. You're the smoothest there is," I agreed sarcastically.

Sokka raised his head up high, puffing out his chest as he pulled open the door for me. "Th—" his mouth fell open in a comical expression of surprise, and I was unable to hold back a snort of laughter. "Hey—!"

"Like I said—smooth, Snoozles," I rolled my eyes, affection rubbing through the edges of my tone.

I felt like slapping myself. _Well, jeez, Toph—all this smiling and laughing is sure helping you get over him a lot, isn't it?_

But—one more night wouldn't hurt, would it? One more night of being in love with Sokka.

Just one. And then—

Then it was back to no extra complications; no doodling his picture on the back of my homework; no staring at him all day during the classes we did have together.

Satisfied, yet strangely anxious, I slid into the passenger seat. Pulling my knees to my chest, I poked at a large, dark stain on the seat cover. "What've you been doing in here, Snoozles?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"I drive myself. I'm my own taxi service." He leaned back, one hand on the wheel, and shot me what he must have thought a suave smile.

It didn't matter that he looked like a grinning elephant: nope, it still gave my stomach flip-flops.

Whoa. I was in deep, wasn't I?

As the car began moving, my eyes were forcibly drawn to Sokka, lounging in the driver's seat and chuckling to himself. Almost instantaneously, my cheeks began to heat up, and I turned to stare out the window. God! This was so damn _stupid_!

"Toph? Do you want me to turn the AC on?" Sokka asked after a moment, giving me a sidelong glance through wide, blue eyes. I immediately sensed that something was off.

"Why?" I demanded suspiciously, glancing back at him, still unable to quell my—_annoying_—blushing.

"Well, you're just so red. I thought it might be getting kind of hot in here," Sokka said innocently, giving me his best I'm-just-a-naïve-little-boy-don't-hurt-me look.

Except I really thought he _didn't _know. Sokka was just too oblivious.

"Yeah," I muttered, turning away, "That'd be good. Turn on the AC all you want, Snoozles."

Sokka scrutinized me carefully. "Are you sure you're not—"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I interrupted airily. Damn, I was getting pretty good at this "hiding my feelings" stuff. "As if _I_, the great Toph Bei Fong, could ever possibly get _sick_," I scoffed, holding my head up proudly. _Thank you God_, I thought immediately, before realizing that I was supposed to be an atheist. Already my hot cheeks were beginning to cool.

"Well—I never get sick either!" Sokka immediately claimed.

"Uh-huh. And the chicken pox two years ago was Magic Marker," I said skeptically, shooting him a triumphant smirk.

"Yeah! Yeah, it was Magic Marker! I was going for a…new look!" Sokka lied badly, averting my gaze.

I hid a smile. "_Sure_. And my middle name is Bobetta—haven't you heard?"

"You look more like a…_Lucy_," he told me, and we laughed.

You know how when you're just starting to have a _good time_ and _enjoy yourself_, Fate always decides to poof in and change things up a bit?

Yeah. Well, Fate must have been in a particularly bad mood that day. Musta been skipping out on all those anger-management classes he has to take in order to resist the temptation of _completely _ruining my life (although I have to admit that this time he'd come pretty damn close).

Yeah. 'Cause, apparently, the car had to choose that _exact moment_ to break down.

For a moment, we just sat there, staring through the windshield at the apparently stationary pick-up truck. After a moment, thought, Sokka took action.

"Well, gee, thanks Kami," he grumbled, sulking as he stomped out of the car, and reached over to grab some sort of wrench from the glove compartment, "Someone up there hates me, don't they?"

I rolled my eyes, watched as Sokka came around the front and yanked open the hood. A cloud of steam blew out, followed by a bout of coughing and a muffled curse.

There was a metal clang; a squeal of pain, and Sokka came hopping around, clutching his foot and very red in the face. When he saw my scornful expression, Sokka set his foot down with a poorly disguised wince and said unconvincingly, "Just a few more minutes, and then it'll be all fixed! Fix-It man, that's me!" Letting out a long sigh, despite his unbelievable announcement, Sokka hobbled back to the front of the car.

At last, when I thought all the stifled swearing, bangs, clangs, and pings would never stop, Sokka wearily plopped back into his seat. "It needs…err…_professional_ help," he told me weakly.

"And that means…?" I prodded, even though I was already pretty sure.

Sokka grimaced. "We have to…_walk_."

I uttered a small shriek of frustration, and skulked out of the car. "I hate you, God," I told the evening sky loudly. "Really, I do. So? Smite me!"

No smiting.

I kicked a rock against the car.

Where the hell was bad luck when you needed it?!?!

As we walked, Sokka darted around the barely-used back road, every so often jumping into the bushes with a "_Hah-YAH_!" only to come out, disgusted, with an indignant rabbit clutched in his hand.

I had to admit, I really felt sorry for the rabbits. As for Sokka? I could say so, but I'd have been lying.

"What are _you_ supposed to be, some sort of ninja?" I asked sourly, as Sokka returned from yet another detour into the underbrush.

"I'm protecting you from the evils of the forest," he told me, karate chopping in mid air. "I know you're scared, Toph, but don't worry…" Sokka put his arm around me and smiled cheesily, eyes darting about dramatically. "I'll protect you!"

I shoved him off of me. Although part of me would have loved his arm to stay there, the other half was seriously pissed off. "Yeah, yeah, Snoozles. Now when are we gonna _get_ there?" I asked crossly.

"There's a place I know of up ahead—but the road will be hard," he whispered, creeping in front of me with his ass sticking up in the air. "Dangers of every kind lurk down this dark path…"

As you've probably guessed, Sokka missed out on any good old Indian Jones action, as the road was easy and completely devoid of dangers of any kind.

Well, unless you wanna count a toad. But Sokka took care of that.

Poor toad. I think he was scarred for life. Maybe I'd find him later…we could start the 'Scarred for Life by Sokka' club. Think of how many members we'd have! One day, we would dominate the _Earth_!

Cue villainous laugh here.

After about twenty five minutes of fake-boyfriends that acted like three year olds with a ninja fetish, and a route much, much longer then I'd hoped, we arrived at the beginning of a large stretch of sidewalk, and a few dingy buildings lining the empty street.

"I knew I'd get us there safely! You can thank me later," Sokka told me grandly.

"Yeah, 'cause bunnies are just that dangerous," I grumbled, despite my relief that we'd finally arrived.

Sokka led me to one of the larger buildings, music spilling out through the windows and a large, pink neon sign just above the doorway. Eyes drawn forcibly to the obnoxiously bright letters, I had my first introduction to a place that I was pretty sure had _not_ been Sokka's original plan. In fact, he was beginning to look as though he sorely regretted choosing this particular place to remember at the most inopportune moment possible.

_Serves him _right, I thought, as my mouth fell open.

"Bumi's _Karaoke_ Bar?"

It was gonna be a long night.

* * *

Ooo! Cliffie! Btw, we're gonna see Aang and 'Tara next chapter. Guess where Sokka and Toph run into them...And I already have a very good idea of next chapter. (Let's just say that the drinking age doesn't exist in Italy. Guess where my good friend Bumi comes from.) Go to my profile to vote on which song Toph should (drunkenly) sing! 


	4. You're My World, So Please Stop Spinning

You're My World, So Please Stop Spinning

_No, really. I'm getting dizzy._

"Maybe they…renovated?" Sokka suggested, eyeing the music-emitting building with distaste.

My stomach let out a loud growl. "Do they have food that won't kill us?"

He glanced at me, eyes wide. "Toph, why are you acting like me?"

A whole symphony of growls joined the first. "'Cause my stomach, Snoozles, demands food," I told him, dragging him towards the restaurant. "And, hello, first rule of the universe: give my stomach what it wants, or die."

Sokka's brow furrowed, and he looked at me, intrigued, as I pulled him along. "Die how?"

I thought on this for a moment. "Torture through music," I finally said. "Sixteen hours of straight _Hannah Montana_. After that, you'd just spontaneously combust."

"Hey!" Sokka's eyes widened. "Maybe _that's _how Hawky died! I _knew _all that Hannah Montana Katara used to listen to was bad for him!"

"Katara?" I asked suspiciously, as I yanked open the door, to be greeted with singing comparable to that of a dying cat. The temptation to cover my ears was too much to bear. Digging my fingers into my eardrums and dropping Sokka's wrist, I practically screamed at him, "Who is _she_, huh? Your _ex-girlfriend_ or somethin' stupid like that?"

Reaching up to remove my fingers from my ears as the horrible screeching came to an end (oh God I was gonna _murder _them if they started singing again), Sokka looked horrified. Struggling to overcome his disgust, he finally managed to get out with a weak chuckle, "I don't believe in incest, Toph, but if that's what you chose…" his smile wavered. "Be free to love whoever you want!"

I stared at him like he had bugs coming out of his ears. "Um, Snoozles, are you goin' deaf? 'Cause I didn't say anything about 'free love,' least of all _incest_—" I halted, as I realized what Sokka was trying to say. "You don't mean she's your _sister_, do you?"

"Yep! That's me and Katara! One big happy family…" Sokka smiled, shaking his head fondly. "I remember the time she flushed my goldfish down the toilet," he said wistfully, gazing off dreamily.

I waved my hand in front of his eyes. "Snap out of it, Snoozles. Even though I'd rather not, we gotta go in now. My stomach insists on it."

"Oh! So does mine!" Sokka nodded enthusiastically, rubbing his stomach in a circular motion. "Food, here we come!" he declared, stepping into the ill-fated Bumi's Karaoke Bar.

I stared around the place. Whoa, I had to hand it to them—they sure knew how to make an ordinary building look like complete crap, didn't they?

I center stage lay at the back of the room, while small, circular tables filled the rest of it. The…karaoke-lovers….were applauding—I think they were just glad it was over—as a dark-skinned man with a curled mustaches bowed of the stage, beaming.

Wow. I was wrong—it _had_ been a man after all.

I tried not to think about how disturbing that was, and instead focused on Sokka. Infuriating he might have been, but it _was_ my last night in love with him, after all.

Although I was coming dangerously close to dropping the whole 'one last night' idea and simply quitting cold turkey.

"Food," I muttered, refocusing myself. Glancing around, I mumbled, "Now where it the freaking _food_!"

The occupants of Bumi's Karaoke Bar (how a pitied them) were all dining on—surprise, surprise—Italian food.

Not that it wasn't kinda strange, I mean. This night had just been so weird so far, _nothing_ could have surprised me by then.

"Hi, Sokka! What a surprise seeing you here! And this must be your girlfriend, right?"

Except that.

Spinning around, I found a pale-skinned boy about my age, perhaps, greeting Sokka cheerfully and running his fingers through his own messy mop of dark hair. Beside him stood a tall brunette, bearing a striking resemblance to Sokka. It only took a moment to make the connection—this must be the sister he'd spoken of, Katara. Funny how he'd never mentioned her before.

And funni_er_ that we'd run into her at a place like this.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sokka asked, obviously confused.

Aang grinned, and indicated that rather beat-up guitar cradled in his arms. "Playing, of course! Bumi's an old friend, and he said he'd let my play my guitar and put a new twist on karaoke! Besides, I need to practice in front of a crowd anyway, right?"

Sokka brightened at the mention of music. "Hey," he exclaimed, puffing his chest out proudly (musta been a habit of his), "If they're letting _you_ play on _your_ guitar and skip the whole karaoke thing…maybe he'll let _me_ play, too!"

I _rolled _my eyes, and turned to Katara. "Morons."

She smiled. "Yeah," Sokka's sister laughed, "Boys." Gesturing towards an empty table, painfully near to the stage (huh, I wonder why), Katara suggested, "Why don't we go sit down. A little girl talk would be good, don't you think?"

God. She was so nice it made me wanna puke. But whatever, it couldn't hurt, could it? And more time around Sokka, with the way the idiot was acting, would probably bring me down a few IQ points. So pukey-nice sister it was! "Sure," I shrugged, chair scraping the floor as I pulled it out and plopped down.

As I would soon find out, Sokka's sister didn't plan on wasting any time with small talk.

"So..." Katara folded her hands, and beamed at me. "You two are in _love_!"

I choked on air. "_Excuse me_?!" Of course, it didn't help that she'd been right—halfway, at least.

"In _love_!" She clapped her hands together. "I mean, your girlfriend and boyfriend, right? And you've been friends for so _long_!" Sighing, Katara stared dreamily into space. "It's _so_ romantic..."

"I don't mean to burst your bubble," I lied, because I totally did, "But we're not in—err—_L-O-V-E_." I still had issues with the _L_ word.

Katara frowned. "What?"

"Not in love," I repeated. "With _that _idiot?" I pointed over to Sokka, currently having a great time with Aang and the Bumi-ster himself, squirting chocolate milk out of his nose. "Ha. As if."

"But—you're boyfriend and girlfriend," Katara reminded me, obviously confused.

"Well, yeah." I shifted uncomfortably. "But in a friendly way. So no crazy romantic schemes, 'kay? And no wedding-things either. Yeah. _Definitely _no weddings," I reassured both Katara and myself, as if I probably wouldn't end up dreaming about it at night anyway. Wait, scratch that—I _did_ dream about it at night.

"But—I thought—" Katara stammered.

"Look." I leaned forward, and stared directly into her eyes (don't even _think _it, okay?! I _know_ you all harbor secret lesbian fantasies. Really, I do). "

"Sokka and I are _just friends_. He will never want to be something more, I will never want to be something more." I sincerely hoped she couldn't tell I was lying. "He is not in love with me..." I swallowed

Here it went.

"...And I am not in love with him," I finished, closing my eyes in a flash of darkness. When I opened them again, anger and a sudden burst of understanding flooded Katara's face.

I prayed she wouldn't mention it. Well, thanks, God! For once, I really _did_ get my wish come true.

"Listen." She poked my chest threateningly, all nice thoughts forsaken and left for dead. "I don't care _how _you feel about Sokka, okay? But you better not break his heart, like she did—because if you do, I swear...I _will_ destroy you."

I felt like throwing back my head and giving a hollow laugh in reply. _Me_? Breaking _Sokka's_ heart? Ha, as if. It was a cruel joke...too cruel. I could barely stand it. And who the hell was 'she,' anyway?

But I couldn't say any of that. I was Toph...and I had to act the part.

"Listen, lady," I drawled, placing my hands behind my head and discreetly wiping the almost-tears from my eyes, "You got it all wrong. I'm not gonna break Snoozles heart, 'kay? Told ya, didn't I, that we were friends, _just _friends." Before she could object, I added, "_Friendly_ dating, remember? No love, 'cept if its platonic and crap." It wasn't. At least, not on my part. "Got it straight?"

I hoped Katara did. _I_ sure didn't.

The sister in question nodded slowly, squinting at me. "I believe you. But remember—one tiny break, one hairline crack, and you'll never be able to show your face around here again."

We locked eyes for a moment. At last, Katara nodded slowly, anger slowly disapparting. "Okay. I can see that there's nothing more here for me to say. But remember..."

"Whatever," I shrugged. I didn't care what this bipolar meddlesome _chick _thought...as long as she didn't mention it to Sokka.

A cackle from the stage area, as yet another 'singer' stepped off stage (after a horrible rendition of 'Wannabe,' the Spice Girls), brought both of our gazes to rest on Bumi. When silence had been achieved, he began in a heavy Italian accent, "I'd like to introduce the"—giggle—"forerunner of the karaoke revolution"—snort—"ready to play a song for us on his"—giggle snort—"guitar. Your up, Sokka!" Insert insane asylum worthy chuckle here.

I blinked, as Sokka took the stage. Huh. And I'd thougt that my _parents_were the cookiest people I'd ever met.

Clearing his throat, the love of my life spoke directly into the microphone. "Hi." He gave a small wave, and the audience chuckled. Sokka waited for it to die down again, before continuing, "I know this is kinda weird, listening to me play the song on my guitar, at a karaoke bar...but..." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and shot us all a smile. My heart did cartwheels as he offered in explanation, "I need _somewhere_to practice. And also, my car broke down outside and Toph _really_wanted to come in and Aang already had my guitar in his trunk, so..."

Face tomato red as the audience laughed, loudly and boisterously (see? _This_was the effect my almost-boyfriend had on people), Sokka added, "I'd like to dedicate this song to my best friend, Toph, because even though I know she'd never admit it...deep down, whenever she hears it, she gives a big 'squee.'"

It was so strange hearing the word 'squee' come out of Sokka's mouth, much less in reference to me. But as he played the opening chords, I knew which song he was talking of...and that he'd chosen perfectly. 'Squee' I did.

Meanwhile, Katara exchanged a glance with me, as if to say, 'Ha. I _knew_he was in love with you.' But I couldn't focus on her. That's because my mind was somewhere distinctly separate and far more pleasant: Sokka.

Just Sokka. _Just _Sokka. In the morning I'd regret all these fluffy thoughts of mine, but right now?

I knew it. I knew that _he_ was the center of my universe, _he_ was my world, and that if I had my pick I'd be the moon revolving around him...or maybe the sun, the center of _his_solar system, whatever. But I knew that only the first option was possible: I might be his moon, true, but what of it? Sokka was the earth, the world, and no matter how long I turned around him, there was no guarantee, no more then the slightest chance that my feelings would be returned.

Yeah, I understood it. Yeah, I knew it like the back of my hand.

And honestly?

Who cared?

Frankly, nothing—besides Sokka, of course—mattered. Not any crackpot decision I'd made to somehow miraculously fall _out _of love with Sokka, not Suki, not Yue, hell, not even _me_.

And right at that moment, as Sokka prepared to play a song, guitar and voice and _everything_—for _me_, and it wasn't even my reward for striking this not-so-lame deal with him—from the way his eyes met mine, from the way his voice seemed so perfectly aimed at me…

I was pretty sure that I was the center of his world, too.

I, Toph Bei Fong, as Sokka Kuruk's world. Maybe not romantically, but it was something.

Something, and that was enough.

Impossible, but….it was happening, somehow or another.

And I was gonna live it out for as long as I could.

But for right now, there was only one thing to do…and that was sit back and listen to my best friend in the entire world, my not-never lover, and drink in every moment as he ever so slowly opened his mouth and began to sing.

* * *

**A/N:**I'm a little late, aren't I? Okay, a lot late :( Hopefully the next update will be a hell of a lot sooner. But other than that...nothing to say, nope. Not till the end of the chappie ;D Also--due to a sudden stroke of, I dunno, something XD hopefully I will be posting a 'Thirty Ways and Thirty Days to Fall in Love With Your Best Friend (Or Maybe Maybe the Other Way Around)' WILL be posted as an epilogue (I think). Be proud of my effort XD

Also: Whoohoo! Tokka fluff! Hope they weren't too OOC :) And I _don't _yet know what song Sokka's gonna sing (though I have some ideas) so just hop over to my profile to vote!


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